Kambrook Rice Express KRC5 / KRC8

Terrible don't waste your money – This is my second one in a matter on months, the first one I used twice and it stopped working. I returned it and got another one, this one has lasted 4 uses and has now stopped working, can't return this one because I have misplaced receipt, but I won't be buying another kambrook model. What a waste of money, can't even get half a dozen uses out of the machines!

I thought first time just bad luck this time I know now they are just junk, so do not buy review other models and pay a bit more this is a big inconvenience.

Fluffy Rice! – I hate cooking rice, it always ends up undercooked or gluggy. Found the Kambrook Rice Express Rice Cooker at Woolworths on special for $25, and thought I would give it a go! It works great, very easy to use and clean. It automatically switches from 'cook' mode to 'keep warm' mode when the rice is done. My only complaint is that depending on the dish I am cooking, the rice can stick to the bottom of the insert pot and overcook. Never happens if I am making just plain rice. Other than that, Im very happy with it! Cheap, easy to clean, easy to use. Good instruction booklet with a few tasty recipes. Rice can stick to the bottom and overcook.

Not reliable, stops working after 1 use – I've been using rice cookers all my life. This one stopped working during my second use, I noticed a slight electrical burning smell too. Didn't bother returning it, just threw it away. It's fairly cheap but still totally not worth your money. Show details

Didn't last long – Lasted 6 months and then died halfway through cooking rice. The outside also gets pretty warm/hot which seems unusual from other rice cookers. We got a second one and that died after ~11 months, won't be getting a third... Show details

I really enjoy cooking rice in my rice cooker – I really enjoy cooking rice in my non-stick rice cooker. I can put 1 cup of rice into it versus 2 cups of water, turn the rice-cooker on at the wall and press down the "cook" button on the cooker and it will take about 10 minutes to make a decent quantity of perfectly cooked, steamed rice that goes well making cooking fried-rice, curries,… Read more

rice-pudding or stir fries. The cooking setting after 10 minutes of cooking time for the rice will then automatically switch to warm and will keep the rice warm if the lid is kept on the rice-cooker. Turn if off at the wall when finished with it and wash it.

Personally, I like the rice cooked out of the rice-cooker much better than cooked in a saucepan on the stove. I find rice cooked in the rice-cooker is nice, light and fluffy and well-cooked, not gluggy and watery like I had been finding when cooking it in a saucepan on the stove-top in the past. Also, using a rice cooker saves you having to wash-up a saucepan that has all the rice stuck to the bottom that you might want to use for cooking something else on the same evening. You can use a soft-gentle cloth and warm, soapy water, which will remove the dirt easily.

Rice cookers are worth having in your home.

From Rebecca Hill

Perfect when automated with an external timer switch – I have a power switched electronic countdown timer ($13 from Bunnings) which I use to time and automatically switch off this great robust Kambrook cooker. Because I use the same rice brand and type of rice, and always1 Kambrook cup of rice and 2 and a half Kambrook cups of water, with timer set to 26 minutes, I have used the cooker hundreds… Read more

of times to make perfect rice every single time. The automatic switch off ensues that undercooking or overcooking never occurs. The cooking surface is perfect after years of use.

Before this setup I had always made a mess of cooking rice, but with the above setup its always perfect. In fact not even expensive automatic rice cooks can produce rice so perfectly uniformly cooked and without sticking.

Because overheating can never occur because I've set a fixed time period to automatically switch off power before sticking can occur, I believe this machine will never fail as its operating well within its limits.

Cheap, Cheap, Cheap – I've wanted a rice cooker for quite some time, and today, in a bid to shut me up (I'm sure), my parents bought me one as a gift. At a price of only $17, I'm certain they considered it quite a steal. Not the rice cooker I'd have picked, nor one I'd had my eye one, but for the price who can complain? As it turns out, I can! Mum suggested we have… Read more

rice for dinner tonight (along with salmon & veggies). What better way to test it out. Following the instructions for brown rice to the letter (almost). With all the water absorbed I assumed the "keep warm" light would flick on, & had I left it alone it may have. It didn't. As the rice was sticking to the non-stick bowl, I added a little bit more water - which did the trick. A little while later and yet again the water was gone, the rice sticking to the bowl, and the keep warm light not on. With the rice cooked, I decided to just turn off the unit.

We managed to plate up most of the rice, leaving a few grains stuck to the bowl. To my surprise, the rice was actually quite good. Not overdone, not underdone - just right.

Next time I plan on leaving it to its own devices and not interfere, just so I can see if it goes to "keep warm" or not.

Based on the reviews I've read about this rice cooker, I don't imagine it'll last a great deal of time. However, for $17 I don't think we'll be too upset when it does go.

Edit*

Tried the rice cooker for the second time. Same measurement of rice and water. This time, leaving it alone (aside from stirring halfway). To my surprise, it actually switched to "keep warm". When I went to plate up the rice, the bottom layer was stuck to the bottom, as expected. The plastic spoon that comes with the unit serves no purpose when collecting stuck rice as all that will happen is you'll end up scraping off the non-stick coating. Switched it out for a rubber spatula and managed with minimal effort to get almost all the rice. This time around the rice had the nuttier taste/texture associated with brown rice.

All-in-all it's not a bad little rice cooker. Cooks rice well. Simple. Takes around 50 minutes to cook brown rice - rarely do I eat white rice, as it's not something I tend to buy.

So, if you're looking for a cheap, small rice cooker, this is not a bad one to get, especially if you've never had one before.

No frills - perfect rice – Great budget rice-cooker... cooks perfect rice every time! I would have used the rice cooker at least 200 times (6 years * 36 [average] = 216) , I no longer need to measure the rice to water ratio - and the rice cooks basically perfect every time! The only thing that may hinder the rice is leaving in on the ''warm'' setting too long. I was given this as a gift from my Nan and I think it will cherish it forever/as long as possible :)

Very reliable product! – We've been using this rice cooker for almost 2 years now and its a very good brand. Kambrook is one of the reliable brands that is designed to stand for years. Show details

Haven’t failed since I learned the trick! – Most rice cookers are pretty much the same but it’s how you start that makes the difference. Always, always rinse your rice! Place the dry rice in a sieve and shake it back and forth under cold running water. You'll see the milky water gradually become clear which means you’ve rinsed a lot of the starch off the rice. It’s starch that makes… Read more

the rice stick to the pan. Since I learned this from a Chinese cook, I’ve never had a problem with my Kambrook rice cooker. I love the keep warm function it offers too.

Worst product I’ve ever bought – I got one of these as a present 13 years ago and it lasted 12 years. It was great. The nonstick coating started coming off so I bought a new one. I don’t know what they’ve done to the quality but I’ve now replaced it 4 times under warranty and not a single one of them even got 5 uses before it died. It just suddenly clicks off and there’s a… Read more

horrible plastic burning smell. I’m given up and buying another brand. Super disappointing because this used to be a great product.

Absolute rubbish! DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT! – Just bought this piece of crap... first try doesn't even work so it's going back tomorrow, I don't even want a replacement. I wouldn't even give it a star! Quality is poor, function button cook/warm doesn't work and is terribly flimsy. Show details

aluminum bowl – My teflon coating has wear off and we have eaten aluminum for long time. I was thinking the bowl is stainless steel, bit disappointing. Why cannot they make it stainless steel? Other than that we never had issues after several years of use

Great but stops working – Keep your receipt! It works well and is fast but then stopped working at 6 months. It's compact and the rice cooks quickly, I think around 15 minutes for the two cups of rice.

Good while it lasts – Good while it lasts!. Looks great and easy to clean. Makes the perfect amount of rice for a small family. We Purchased one and it lasted 4 week. Element burnt out with a horrible smell. We got another one with warranty and that last 14 months and same thing happened. This time no warranty so not happy, Show details

Good while it lasts - unfortunately mine lasted about 20 uses – The title says it all really. It was pretty cheap as I recall, didn't keep the receipt otherwise I'd take it back to the Good Guys (who I have always found very obliging & customer focused). Anyway, if you are looking for an appliance that won't last long - well, this one is definitely for you. Personally, I be steering clear of all Kambrook products in the future. Show details

Didnt even last 3 uses – Wish I had ready reviews before purchasing. Just terrible! Second time it has a terrible smell, I checked nothing was on the elements all clear, third use - now it just simple wont work. Will be returning as only purchased 4 weeks ago and buying another brand. Show details

Latest batches sub-standard – As the family downsized we downsized to this 5-cup rice cooker. Worked fine for 3-4 years before biting the dust. Was happy to buy the same model as replacement but manufacturing standards have obviously slipped since the original model. We have had four fail since then with what appear to be thermostat failures after less than 10 uses. Two… Read more

have been warranty replacements, which is fine, but life is too short to waste time on inferior products. Never again for a Kambrook rice cooker. Managed to salvage tonight's dinner by using sticky tape to hold down the "Cook" switch after the thermostat failed.

Perfect for most rice meals – Cooks to perfection, great little recipe book, light, small- easy to store, quick wipe out bowl, Price $26.00 great for 2-4 persons. We use at least twice weekly,12 month guarantee. I put a circle of bake paper on bottom of bowl as suggested and follow all directions given Show details

Dead on 4th use – Used as per directions. On 3rd use I noticed spot of paint coming off base despite very gentle treatment and no contact with metal. On 4th use it released burning plastic smell and died. Show details

Rubbish – I used the kambrook rice express 5 cup 3 times. It died before the end of the 3rd cook. What a waste of money. I will not buy another kambrook product again. Show details

Owned 4 of these, all 4 burnt out with less than a dozen uses – Purchased one of these a few years ago. It 'burnt out' before 12months. Purchased another which burnt out after 2 months - got a warranty replacement, which burnt out about 12 months later. Gave it a miss for 2 years but bought another 8 months ago. And guess what, yup - burnt out as well. We would use this product about once every 3 weeks so it wasn't from over-use. Save your money. Buy a different product. Show details

so far...so good – Purchased from Big W 12/2018. There appears to be slight change from previous model number which attracted some negative reviews. However KRC8 and KRC80 rice cookers like almost identical Early days yet. However if you follow the cooking guide the result is perfectly good. On first cook the bottom rice was a tad overcooked but ok to date.… Read more

The cooking bowl is pretty light so I am not sure about durability and how long the non stick coating will last. I choose this product because it was advertised as a pretty quick cooker unlike some other ones I looked at. Its a pity that the rice bowl cannot be detached from the the electrical lead, which I was aware of. A small point but it would increase this rice cookers practicality and if you had friends over around the table it would also advertise the product name. At this stage value for money and no gribes. 1 year warranty.

Purchased two and both have failed – Once bitten twice why. Rice burns to bottom if left on warm. Leaves rice very dry and not fluffy. Purchased one and after 6 months of infrequent use had electric smell and the cooker stopped working. Husband purchased another and it happened after 2 uses. Off to find another brand.  Show details

Never cooks well – This is the first rice cooker I’ve ever owned and it never cooks the rice well - it is always singed on the bottom, is one big clump and not light and fluffy at all. Like others, I’ve tried adding more water but this doesn’t work. From what I’ve heard of rice from other cookers, I would definitely recommend people NOT buy this one.  Show details